El Salvador Journal
Mark Vitalis Hoffman

I am going to start a journal of my upcoming El Salvador trip, but first I
will need to relate a bit of background. This past fall, I did an adult
education series at church focusing on how we make decisions as Christians. We
looked at a number of topics which have been somewhat controversial, and I asked
participants to let me know if they had some topic that they wanted us to
consider. Roger and Margaret Haglund approached me with their concerns about
economic justice. They have been active in Central American issues, Sister
Parish, etc. I encouraged them to lead a session and that I would help them. In
November, Roger ended up leading a session on the situation in El Salvador based
on his experience there. After the session Roger and Margaret indicated to me
that they would be interested in sponsoring one of Hope's pastors to go on a
mission education trip there. I shared this information with the rest of the
staff, but I was beginning to think about whether this was something I wanted to
do or not.

I had a number of reasons for choosing not to go. The trip was in the middle
of Lent which meant that I would not be able to do a Lenten series on my own as
usual. I had only a passing familiarity with Central American issues, and I had
done practically nothing in terms of promoting economic justice issues. I was
also not sure what I would do with the experience. I am quite oriented to
thinking in terms of doing Bible studies, and so this is not my area of
strength. Finally, I am not a particularly bold traveler. I prefer something a
bit more predictable and safe.

I did check out the Center for Global Education web site thoroughly. I
watched a video on Archbishop Romero that the Haglunds loaned to me and another
on the controversial School of Americas. It is kind of hard to watch these
things. The injustice seems so great and the remedy seems so impossible.

When Aunt Dorothy died in early December, I had a lot of time for thinking on
the drive down to Rockford and back for the funeral. I decided that it would not
be a bad thing for me to move outside my 'comfort zone.' I also realized that
the experience itself would determine what I would do with it. I do not need a
plan in advance of how I am going to interpret the event.

So, the week before Christmas, I told Haglunds that I wanted to take them up
on their offer. It was quite... significant? poignant? rewarding? to see how
glad they were to support this trip for me.

I got all the application materials in shortly thereafter. I had to get a
passport. There were some difficulties getting the airline reservations from
Fargo to San Salvador, and I ended up having to arrange things myself. A week
ago I got my Hepatitis A vaccination, and I start the seven week long course of
malaria medicine this week. I met with Community Health who have information on
travel to developing countries. It is a bit daunting. Hepatitis and malaria are
the ones you can do something about trying to prevent. Not much can be done
except being careful in trying not to get cholera, dengue fever, typhoid,
rabies, or meningitis. Also, and I quote, "Most Salvadorans are armed, and
shootouts are common." I am not really feeling any anxiety, but knowing me,
I shall be quite cautious. I am also trusting that CGE knows what it is doing,
and counting on their experience with hundreds of others who have done this
before me.

Reading Oscar Romero: Reflections on His Life and Writing

Romero's message "that the poor are a sacrament who can transform our
lives if we are willing to open ourselves to them, to accompany them"
14

quote by Dom Helder Camara: "When I advocated feeding the hungry,
they called me a saint; when I asked why they were poor, they called me a
Communist." 24

3.11

I remembered this past week that I once wrote a song about El Salvador. Dug
it up and found that I had written it 3.29.81. The lyrics are not very good, and
the song is basically hand-wringing about doing something, but it is interesting
to me to recall that I had some awareness of the situation there at one time. (I
didn't learn about Bruce Cockburn until Yale.) Anyway, the song is "Some
Day"

Chorus:

The sun sets red, another day's gone down,
And where have we gone but once more around?
We've got to get moving, we can't hesitate.
Some day soon it will be too late.

1)
The guns don't stop, The Savior can't sleep tonight.
The poor keep working to live, their hungry children don't feel alright.
One they say's a war for peace, the other's an ugly blight.
Well, you tell me who fights the better fight.

2)
The killings add up, the children have nightmares tonight.
One city's problem reveals a nation's plight.
Something's broken down, something just ain't right.
When will it end? When will we see the light?

3)
We can't wait till the moon is blood, till the sun fades from sight.
We need to start right now, start to set things right.
We need to move for peace till no one's hungry tonight.
Let love be our guide. Let love be our light.

on the web, learned that their has been a four month long strike by medical
workers. Things have started turning nasty, BUT just today an agreement was
reached. Good thing, because national elections are tomorrow, and some
disturbances are expected. Just hope things are settled by next week and nothing
violent happens on the 24th on the Romero anniversary.

now in Mpls waiting for flight to Houston; didn't get much sleep last
night, so am tired

nice jet but rough flight from Houston to S.S. - couldn't eat

CGE people were here to pick me up and 4 others - interesting drive the 20
or so miles to the guest house

was a 4 lane road but what a mess! Cars and wrecks parked all along the
way - many cars and trucks with no lights - people everywhere walking across
the street - stopped by police /govt once (why? Registration?) and past 1
accident

by end of 15th spanish, columbus, subject to spain, church and priests
aligned with conquistadors

forced baptisms

resistance for 12 years

spanish brought disease and weapons and that main way of defeating

colonialization took land and pass to crown

forced raising of indigo dye for export

forced labor - deaths

indep of Central Amer signed mainly to secure profits of landowners (many
of whom were priests)

coffee replace indigo

1832-3 - poplar uprising by Igniro but he killed

1932 uprising by Farabuno Marti aborted but he captured and only local

volcano eruption as sign

1960s activity - union strikes

La Lucha Armada armed resistance into early 70s

the subversives, repression of peasants by natl guard who formed to
protect coffee

justices of peace set locally also to support natl guard

in 1979 coup detat form junta of milit / civil (mainly young milit)

repression, flight

another junta a few months later (more civilian particp) and then a 3rd (duarte)
lasting a year

thru all the repressn remained because military kept control

March 24 1980 Romero assassination

Cuban revol in 1968-9 impact on ES

1968 conf in Medellin by bishops trying to define social role of church

change is that instead of people going to church to be told what to think
/do, church is going to people to share in their life

1970 xn base commun

1975 student demonstr which repressed

~ this time Romero as bishop, after a local massacre he began to become
more involved with people

1977 elections and fraud

archbishop Romero active at this time

March 1977 Romero as archbishop though he was not the popular choice due
to his conservativism

- another demons and massacre

Romero process of 'conversion'

March 12 1977 father Grande assassination

had great effect on Romero

beginning of repression vs church

Romero cont to speak more boldly

3.23.80 speech to soldiers

3.24.80 assassination

with peace accord (90-92) also a truth finding commission which names some
of present leaders of ARENA as responsible

archbishop Edemas aft Romero continued but new archbishop appted by John
Paul is extremely conserv (Opus Dei) and reverting to former ways

Father Jon Sobrino companions of Jesus- with Jesuits killed asked if still
had hope

he said he moved from NT study of liberation to OT study

(ie at an OT phase looking forward to NT fulfillment)

some ambiguity about canonization of Romero - fear of just putting him up
front of church and worshipping him without remembering his teaching

have we done the same with Jesus?

Regarding the issue of declaring Romero a saint: some difficulty finding
"miracles" performed by Romero  Sister Rosa at Divina
Providencia said that Romeros internal organs had been removed during
autopsy and when recovered some years later to be interred, they were still
fresh!

- real issue here seems to be whether Romero was right or not: current
Archbishop (and Vatican) appear to be dragging their feet on the matter, in
part because they do not want to validate or encourage Romeros agenda any
more than necessary; those who appreciate Romero would like to see sainthood
proclaimed quickly because it would be official recognition that his message
was the Christian response to the situation

some things about today: went to a food court sort of place for lunch,
nothing fancy, just a variety of hole in the wall places - turns out this is a
rather "posh" place in ES - Jack N-P noted that since the last time he
was there that they had built a wall so that you couldn't see down into the
valley/ravines where the tinroof shacks are and have your meal disturbed

at Huizucar about 15-20k = 9-12 miles south west of SS:

Huizucar is a very poor place; crude shacks tucked into ravines or set
upon hillsides

two older women opened up the church and showed us around - what struck me
was how prim, proper, cleanly dressed they were and especially how proud
they were of their church

armed security guards at every big store or gas station - by armed, I mean
big rifles, shotguns or automatics

- big issue is interaction between politics and religion - can one
denounce injustice and not because political?

- how does Romero challenge trad church?

Identification and solidarity with poor

diff between mother Theresa and Romero is that MT only tried to help; Romero
touched structures that created poverty

sense in which we heard about Romero killed in some 3rt rate country // a
person in Rome hearing about some Jew killed in Palestine 2000 years ago

meeting with Father Dean Brackley

came to UCA after killings

philosophy of Uca is to understand reality (not just literature) and
reality is based on observation - both local and global

dispute about meaning of service of faith

people recognize and respond to "credible love"

lib theol resp to reality and word of god

Gustavo Gutierez - 3 changes:

a - structural / institutional
b - theological
c - social relations

ie political is personal and personal is political

big ques is: what would a liber theol ethos look like?

Micro initiatives run up vs macro economic realities and that is why
global cooper is critical

eg - if someone wants to clean a river, if they try to stop polluters,
they end up floating in river - but if they connect with Greenpeace et al,
they have a chance

Senor Martinez at Romero Fdtn

a quote from Romero: "a church that it is not committed to the poor
should be suspected of unfaithfulness"

- told us that Romero movie is to be broadcast for the very first time in
ES this week - that should be interesting!

after a good supper went to opening of art exhibition at Parque Cuscatan commemorating
Romero; interesting crowd, for the most part quite well-dressed and middle/upper
class

etc: mosquitoes aren't bad at all; there are some but no bites so far ; am
glad I treated my clothes before coming

sent email today - another strange mix: computers everywhere but no running
water - sewer system not sufficient to handle tp, so all tp must be thrown in
garbage

- still cleaning up by wash cloth and using cistern water

learning that situation is more complex here: eg people at art exhibit or the
bus admin and mech and elec engineering students we met at UCA - but I think
this is good as it blurs lines of us vs. them or rich vs poor

left at 6:15am for 4 hour drive to Ciudad Barrios (about 75 east and a
little north of SS; quite a bit longer distance by road - took about 3 hrs) and
visit Radio Mons. Romero

- Romero was born here but there is opposition to him even here and
indifference

- see themselves as putting salt in the large wound in this country

- have mix of programming - music, Romero parts, satire and comedy

- also concerned with environment, women's and children's rights

- threats have come from govt, business

- even the coffee cooperative was one of biggest opponents because of
their worker abuse and pollution but radio has been instrumental in good
changes

- a band, Tropical Diaz came in to play and it was broadcast live, then
had greetings and statements from our group broadcast

walked thru town and met some distant relatives of Romero; saw old church
where he had his first mass and the newer church (with mural) where he also
later presided; also saw place where he was born (now office for coffee
cooperative)

- long drive back (3+ hours) in back seat of van - not comfortable!

- got a number of pictures of countryside, volcanoes, etc. on way back

- dinner at guest house then went to a local hotel where we joined with
semester long CGE group to hear guitarist Guierrmo Cuellar; best known
for his Campesino Mass and Mass for Central America - turns out he also knows
well and has performed often with Bill Dexheimer- in other group also was a
woman from Concordia who has come to Hope

- the variety and complexity of the place continues to be so striking; as we
drove along today, had chance to see people sleeping by road and digging through
garbage; also saw large groups of school children walking to school in their
uniforms, though it appears that poorest families or those who more isolated and
distant from schools do not attend

- hard to get a picture of anything too "typical" - most houses
outside the city are of similar construction: brick with sheet metal or tile
roof, but after that many differences: size of building, accompanying buildings,
some have vehicles parked alongside, others with 1 to many horses or cattle

- garbage and pollution are a major problem though it does not seem to be an
issue to most people - here you have this beautiful countryside and all these
beautiful plants (even though we are near the end of the driest months), and
then there is garbage everywhere - you see houses built on hills or alongside
ravines, and down the hillsides you see where the garbage is just regularly
dumped - smells and bugs and vultures and dogs

- pollution by vehicles is incredible - and so is the driving! everyone is
very aggressive, but it seems to work okay - if we should get rearended while Im
in the backseat of the van, though, my knees will be history

- interesting that in Ciudad Barrios Romero remains a controversial figure -
nothing really planned for the March 24 anniversary - we were surmising that the
Radio Romero folks made a point of escorting us through town to enhance their
message and perhaps also their security - it may be harder for their opponents
if they are more aware of the US support for what they do

- while in Ciudad Barrios, saw a number of drunks and mentally handicapped;
they appeared to just wander around the town; they weren't harassed, mainly just
ignored - there seems to be nothing in place to assist them

water was running this morning! Just a trickle but able to wash my hair and
feel clean

- have been going to bed around 11pm or so and waking at 6am or so; actually
start waking much earlier since it starts getting light by 4am and then the
roosters start crowing then the dogs start barking; quite a few loud birds join
in; then about 5am the traffic starts and since mufflers are not a priority item
on most vehicles and since honking is a common way to clear an intersection, it
gets pretty noisy in a hurry

- meeting with 2 women from Committee to Close the School of the Americas

- Sister Josephine Blocker and Gigi of Maryknoll Sisters

nuca mas = never again

- SOA taught how to kill not about human rights / school of assassins

- Maryknoll sisters work together with other groups (relig and salv)

- goal to close school but also have req that no more salv sent there

- she knows it will open again in some other place but pt is to
conscientiousize

- 3 of 5 with Romero, 19 of 26 with Jesuits, etc were grads of SOA

- no Cent Amer human atrocity in last 14 years does not have connect with
SOA

- curr head of natl police - Sandobel - (which now supposed to be
protecting people) was head of security and emer radio which called for
deaths of Jesuits - from Soa

- now a req to change constit to allow this new police force to roam
country to search for DRUG dealers - drugs is new excuse to re-militarize
and invite increased US presence

- up to 1994 women not legal witnesses, no inheritance without permission,
restrictions on choice where to live

- still not well applied in practice (discrim vs hiring of women esp
pregnant)

- prohib of any abortion (prev had allowed except for rape, mothers life
endang, gross disabil of fetus)

- signif domestic viol - 7 of 10

men are often revolutionaries outside the home but not within

While we were at the meeting, Christina and Mauriso went to run some errands
and exchange money for the group. After they left the bank, 3 heavily armed men
in police uniforms with flak jackets and shotguns stopped them in the middle of
the street. They dragged them out of the van and threw Mauriso to the ground.
They made lots of noise to intimidate others who were around and smashed the
windshield of the van and took Christina's bag with the money. Christina and
Mauriso are okay, but everyone and especially they are shaken. Welcome to
reality in El Salvador.

It is not clear whether they were police or ex-police or disguised as police,
but reporting the crime to the real police accomplishes nothing. The audacity to
commit such an assault in the middle of the street in the middle of the day only
shows the extent of the problem here and the impunity with which such crimes are
committed. The ARENA solution to crime of simply adding more police is not
comforting at this point. You also have to figure that someone in the bank
observed and reported that a significant sum ($590) had been transacted.

I wonder how people live with this, and I am aware of the desire to retaliate
over something as little as the $70 I lost. Can non-violence achieve its desired
ends? It seems awfully easy simply to remove the non-violent with little
consequence. I keep thinking about the Bruce Cockburn (an entirely non-violent
guy) song about the Honduran? refugee camps (as I remember the lyrics):

Here come the helicopters, second time today. Everybody scatters and hopes
they'll go away. How many souls they've murdered, no one can ever say. If I
had a rocket launcher, I'd make somebody pay.

a little free time this afternoon then meet with Carlos Ramos, political
analyst in FLACSO (Latin Amer social science faculty)

in ES, they call this the "post-transition" time

- transitions always difficult and now seem to be at a pt of limbo where
things have stalled

- the peace accords made some things possible and where instit is
relatively more transparent

- but no greater efficiencies

- still no inroads for majority

- political instit are no closer to people and hence less particip

- pol instit seem to be heading back to more authoritarian forms

- authoritarian structures permeate not just pol instit but all culture

- need to accomplish more difficult goal of making whole soc more
democratic

- better resp military only makes more civil but no more democratic

- need globalization not just internationalization of business which has
been going on since spanish

- what is globalization?

- need to be competitively within country before hoping to compete
globally

- main respected figures throughout cent amer are milit because they
project sense of security and stability

- neither ARENA nor FMLN were formed to promote democracy but to wage war
- FMLN has mainly served as counterbalance to hegemony of right

- what is needed is a third way (not another party) of thinking combining
a variety of groups

- no property or inheritance tax in ES

- best economic policy is to have a strong social policy committed to educ
and health

- are we going to compete for business (with skilled labor) or going to
compete for hunger (with cheapest labor)

- went to the national university for a concert commemorating Romero - some
of the musicians hadn't been on that stage for 20 years and had only gathered at
that stage during the war for the funerals of friends but this was now a great
celebration - fun and the place was packed

- went to supper at Nelly's for a variety of ES food: pupusa, fried yuca, two
different tamales and more

- BCV set up by Christiani who also has major insurance plan which
connected with 4 major pension funds which work with stock investors and
exchange houses

- Chrisitiani group also has pharmacy, coffee, etc.

There is a supervising board over BCR but it made up of bank pres,
investors and pres of country, also member of ARENA >> how can they fn
disinterestedly???

- in 1989 banks were privatized: basically the system was bankrupt and the
BCR bought the debt BUT then the banks able to buy back debt-free

Exchange Rate:

large flow of dollars into ES from US (60% value of exports); LA is second
largest concentration of Savadorans

- laundered money also brings flow of US $

> with so much coming in, how keep rate stable? govt takes dollars out
of the market and offers bonds at higher interest which bought by banks BUT
banks don't direct money to credit and so growth is limited

- new penal system since 1998 which makes some crimes easier to prosecute
but system still susceptible to corruption

- this guy was very political and spoke with little passion; hard to tell
though whether he was simply trying to appear that his office was doing
something or whether he sincere person whose hands were severely limited

- remem that no one has ever been formally ided as resp for the death of
Romero - can't pardon without knowing whom to pardon

- law of amnesty a problem since govt forgave itself

- need new law of reconcil based on model of S.Africa

- confessors go thru process where no admission of guilt but pardon with
recogn of injustice committed

- in ES, also a cond of rich perpetrators also indemnify victims

- for such a law need wide world support

- rep from S.Afr. Involved with recon process:

- reconcil without truth is not negot

- must bury the past together or the ghosts will haunt us in the future

- we must also extend an invit to oppressors to repent so that they too
many regain their humanity

from Jon Sobrino: 2 things to remem about poor

1) poverty is death - any ugly, does awful things to people, breaks family
and community, internalized: anyone who idealizes poverty of the poor has
exper neither

2) diff between un/organized poor - between those who have exper
liberation, discover worth as human and those who still live out despair

a note about xxxx who showed us his pictures from the
war; he was apparently a ranking FMLN officer; has pictures of himself with the top
people and Daniel Ortega and UN officials; he met his wife xxxx during the
war - she is this sweet, cheerful little woman, and here are pictures of her in
fatigues; she was in combat up to 5 months pregnant!

-xxxx is also so quiet and gentle and so strange to see him with all
these automatic weapons

- one picture shows him with both arms raised in front of one volcano
where very heavy fighting had been - someone asked if he was celebrating
victory - he said no: survival

- asked if he was still afraid for his life from govt: no, but he remains
watchful because he knows situation can change quickly

- Bishop Gomez of ES led service and preached - interesting person; i
liked him

- service was supposed to start at 9:30 but didnt really start til 10;
there were a number of exchanges between church and groups and also
communion, so service didnt finish until almost 12:30

- Bishop Gomez did present each of us with a cross of the Lutheran church
of ES

OK: what am I taking home?

- an appreciation for this country of amazing contrasts: poor/rich,
beauty/blight; hope/despair. It's amazing that they exist together so strongly.
It's amazing that the privileged and powerful can exert so much influence and be
so violent and manipulative and death-dealing. But it is even more amazing that
hope not only refuses to be destroyed but that it flourishes and keeps on rising
anew. From whence does it get its power and endurance and vitality? Human will
that refuses to broken? A sense of what is right and true and real? Clearly the
church has played a role in its message that all people are of worth in God's
eyes and that God has a "preferential option" for the poor. I think
also of the people we met at Equipo Maiz or FUNDE or CESTA. These are incredible
people who could 'succeed' anywhere in the world but have chosen to stay and try
to make a difference in El Salvador. Partly it is the sense of just 'swimming'
as long as one is able, but when there are easy options out, why keep choosing
this struggle?

It perhaps goes back to a sense of what is right and ultimate. We do
something despite all discouragements simply because it is the right thing to
do. I think that is what Chris from Fresno saw. He wasn't sure why his boss sent
him on this trip. On the last day, however, he said that what this trip inspired
him to do is go back and finish his high school degree. He had thought that as
long as he had a good job that was making money, that making money was the main
thing. What he saw were people committed to something greater than money and
greater than themselves.

So perhaps for me this trip is the incentive to define what is most important
and to recommit myself to it. I suppose I have thought more in personal terms:
what is the right thing for me to do? What is God calling me to do? But what is
the 'big' thing we are all called to do? What is the course we all have to
'swim'? I believe that it has to do with proclaiming the love of God, and that
this trip has helped me to see more clearly that this is not just an
intellectual abstraction but one that has concrete implications expressed in
righteousness/justice with all its social, financial, and political aspects.

What do I do in response to this? I think I will be more active in supporting
groups sharing this vision: like Equipo Maiz or Radio Romero or CESTA. I will
also be more active in encouraging others to support or be involved with such
organizations.

I also keep coming back to envisioning how I will teach such things. I still
think that is one of my gifts.

One thing I would like to do is simply tell about El Salvador, the situation,
and its people here.

Second, on a different level, I am still intrigued by the relationship
between DESPAIR (nothing can be done) and PRIDE (the belief of those with power
who think they can do it all themselves or that it is all about them) and HOPE
(the conviction that with God something will be done and that God can use me in
the process).

Once I see all my pictures, I am anxious to see what I can do with them in
addition to simply creating an online photo gallery.

I will also take back with me more questions and things to think about.

I am struck by how much MONEY seems to make the world go round. The role of
the IMF and World Bank and World Trade Organization set more rules that order
the world than we imagine.

The USA needs more accountability. Clearly the School of Americas is a
tragedy as is our role in the just mentioned economic organizations. The
citizens of the US need to know more about such things and ask how we can change
them. What are we willing to sacrifice or pay more for or do if we are convinced
about what is right.

I am also still needing to understand poverty better. I think there indeed is
a difference between the un/liberated poor. And if that is true, how do you
liberate them? Where are the poor in the Fargo-Moorhead community? All the poor
I seem to have encountered are unliberated ones who aren't looking for
liberation. (Had an interesting mistyping there. Started typing lieberation.
Lieben in German is to "love." Liberation = Lieberation, ie to love
them?)

Still wondering about the use of force to resist injustice. Will peaceful
non-violent resistance always work? Even Romero spoke about how violent
resistance may be necessary when all else has failed.

I need to keep thinking about the validity of the approach and premises of
liberation theology. (Learned today that there is a Lutheran counterpart to it
here in ES called a Theology of Life.) LibTh starts with describing life as it
is experienced and then turning to the Word for interpretation. This is not
well-received from a 'scholarly' point of view because of its outright
subjectiveness. The academic ideal is to start with the Word and provide an
objective interpretation and then turn to see how it applies to and interprets
life. Maybe there isn't any real difference. No 'objective' reading of the Bible
can ever be more than less subjective! If you doubt it, consider all the
interpretations that are asserted to be the right one!

I will have to work more on seeing what this approach might look like in my
own work.

Finally, I am sure that I have not yet realized all the ways that this trip
will impact me and change my life. Whatever those things might be, this was a
great experience, and I am excited to see what is still to come. I have great
hopes!

5:30am and so far so good! Didnt sleep well wanting to be sure I didnt
miss my taxi to the place to catch the airport shuttle - this Taxi Acacysa de
R.I. is a good deal (c40 + 25 = c65 as compared to c140 for a taxi all the way

couple more things

- comment from Duane: in a Bible study group in one of the communities,
people asked what they thought it meant in Luke 19.40 at entry to Jerusalem when
Jesus was told to silence his disciples, and he responded: "I tell you, if
these were silent, the stones would shout out."
- they said it was easy: it just meant that the graffiti on the stones/rocks
would tell the story

On clothing customs in ES:

- the better dressed a person is in ES, the more respected
that is why even the poor out in the villages have one dress up outfit for
church at least
- kind of nice and does affirm a sense of self-respect but it also serves as a
way of reinforcing status structures and hindering upward mobility
- as US culture continues to pervade ES (and it is everywhere! TVs are
everywhere and they get all the shows and cheap movies and nickelodeon dubbed
into Spanish along with MTV), it will be interesting to see if clothing becomes
more relaxed
- it will be both a good and bad thing
- On larger scale, the whole US cultural influence is going to be a mixed thing.
I have no doubt that a primary goal of our influence will be to make them better
consumers. If money becomes more available, my prediction for one of the first
areas to expand quickly: tobacco. Not many people here smoke now, but where we
saw the most was at the Natl University.

I have this picture of a society marked by youth with the worst of American
characteristics (cynical and disrespectful; alcohol consumption is already a
problem and will only get worse; drugs are just starting to become a problem)
who are attuned to US consumeristic values. There will be a generational
struggle as the older generation who knows how hard they worked and how much
they have sacrificed just to see their kids acting irresponsibly and taking for
granted what has been won for them.

Ultimately it comes back to something Dean Brackley said, that really what is
needed is a new, transformed person. This is, of course, also what the Bible
says, and I hope it is also what I always say as well.